1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with a printing device and performs control so that printing is performed according to a given printing method (e.g., reservation printing method) by the printing device and to a print control method for performing control so that printing is performed according to a given printing method by a printing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an access authorization control server (access control system) that is capable of setting various access control for a file per each user is marketed. By using the access authorization control server, a person who produces a file can perform control of access to a distributed file independently and differently for each user. The access control refers to control such as control of browsing a file, setting of an effective period to a file, restriction on copying of a file, restriction on printing of a file, and restriction on changing of a file, for example.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-333224 discusses an image forming apparatus in which security data (including a password, print medium information, and specific operator information), which has a function for suspending a printing operation when a specific condition is satisfied or a function for not starting a printing operation unless a specific condition is satisfied at the time of inputting an original, is added to document data. The security data is used to restrict a total number of prints to make of a document to the number of copies that a producer of the document desires.
In the access control system as described above or the image forming apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-333224, a setting as to presence or absence of permission for printing can be set to each file that each user accesses. However, even if a printing person prints highly confidential data based on an effective authorization, there is a possibility that the printing person forgets to pick up a print product (that is, there is a possibility that another person carries away the print product by mistake). Accordingly, the above conventional technique cannot avoid an information leakage occurring due to the printing person forgetting to pick up the print product or another person carrying away the print product before the printing person has an opportunity to pick up the print product.